Astor Center Wine Class Notes: Elements of Wine

Hi,

This post is the class notes I took down from the wine class at Astor Center, New York. I hope you find it useful.

Cheers,

Cyan

• Think of white wine as a slice of apple and red wine as apple sauce. Or think of white wine as lemon juice with sugar (therefore no tannins) and red wine as lemon juice with sugar and a tea bag (therefore tannins). 

• For red wine, as age goes up, color goes lighter; For white wine, as age goes up, color goes darker. 

• When observe color of wine, look at the corner of the glass of wine.

• There are four major factors that influence the final result of wine. They are grape varietal, geographic and climate condition, grape-growing mechanism and wine-making tactics. 

• Think of wine and food pairing of skiing through the trees, and the extreme flavors from either wine or food as the trees, i.e. the obstacles you need to come through when skiing. The pairing helps get rid of the trees. 

• The only reason to change temperature is to adjust the sense of acidity of wine. Cooler the wine will hide acidity. In general, the suitable temperate for wine drinking is from 58 to 64.

• The two biggest things that make wine go bad are aeration and temperature. Light as well. 

• The older the wine, the higher degree different flavors tend to mix together. 

• The Tasting Checklist:

Fruit (smell / olfactory sensations) - is the wine’s overall flavor bold and concentrated, or is it subtle and understated?
Oak (smell / olfactory sensations) - is there evidence of flavors from new oak barrels, like vanilla, dessert spices, caramel or toasted nuts?
Dryness (taste sensations) - was there any sweetness on the tip of your tongue, or was the wine dry?
Acidity (taste sensations) - was the wine tart and short in acidity, or was it round and creamy?
Body (mouthfeel / physical sensations) - does the wine feel sheer and delicate on your tongue, or is it thick and viscous?
Tannin (mouthfeel / physical sensations) - if the wine if red, does it leaves a soft, velvety feeling, or does it leave a tight ‘dry month’ sensations?
Intensity (aftertaste / physical sensations) - do the wine’s flavors linger after you swallow? are they pleasant?

• Wine Tasting Technique:

Look at the wine against a white background
Swirl the wine in your glass
Take a few deep sniffs of the wine
Taste the wine
Concentrate on your perceptions
Evaluate the characteristics on the checklist on a scale of low, medium or high
Think about the wine - will it taste better with food? if so, what kind of food?
Record your impressions 

WINE RIOT NYC 2014 SPRING - Opening Night Review w. Photos and Videos

Dear wine lovers, here is an exciting update from Cyan --- Last night, I went to the 2014 Wine Riot NYC Opening Night held the 548 Center with a dear friend of mine. It was a massive wine event with 42 wine booths offering 250 cost-effective wines from across the globe, lasting 4 hours straight from 7 pm to 11 pm! It costs a once fee of 60 bucks but it's well worth it for a simple reason that I will never manage to try so many wines without going bankrupt! 

I will post a summary about all the wines I "rioted" in the coming week. A couple of them really stand out and None can hold me back from sharing them with you within the coming week! 

For now, I am posting the photo stream from last night plus two short and funny videos for you to get a 'peep' of this event if you missed it out. Enjoy!   

My Achievements - cards and brochure collection;)

Me holding a wine cocktail at the Wine Riot

Post the event on the street after we all wasted 80+ wines... That lady at the back looks scarily funny!

The passport glass that grants you
access to 250 wines

Zipz's Wine Booth

Bandit's Wine Booth

Wineberry's Wine Booth

Louis Jadot's Wine Booth

The 'Second Glass' Glass

Wine Tasting Notes of Sauvignon Blanc 2012 by Ferrari Carano from Sonoma County California

The wine of this week is again a dry white. As the weather in NYC is finally turning better, an easy and refreshing white wine is a good choice to kill some idle time or simply satisfy your wine cravings (no judgement at all!) This wine is a blend of 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from various appellations in Sonoma County and it adopt both stainless steel tanks and older French oak barrels for fermentation according to the wine-maker. The wine-maker's notes for this wine goes:

"bursting with luscious fruit flavors reminiscent of ripe pineapple, white peach, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi and guava, with just the right touch of grass. A blend of French oak and stainless steel fermentation lends warm spice notes and a creamy mouthfeel, while retaining a refreshing crisp brightness that lends itself to be paired with a variety of dishes." 

Let's see if it really reflect these nice words.

Sight
Light bright yellow, clear and completely transparent. 

Smell
First Smell: generous sweet aroma that remind you of preserved fruit and honey, plus a hint of the smell of wax oil. But the prominent feeling is still the sweetness of ripe tropical fruit, mostly pineapple. 
Second Smell: Pineapple becomes even more obvious. The aroma of kiwi and grapefruit also stands out. If you shake it harder, you may also sense the feeling of lime. 

Taste
Light body, simple structure, a blend of fruity flavor with some sort of animal and wet grass feelings. Bear with my wild imagination, it makes me think of a horse farm in a beautiful and vigorous spring day, where stands a single brilliant brown horse, with its heads down, leisurely eating the delicate grass that just sprouted after the spring shower last night...

There is no burden drinking this wine. Enjoy the rich fruity aroma and let your imagination go wild. 
Cheers,
Cyan

Wine Tasting Notes of Riesling 2012 by Hogue from Columbia Valley Washington

Today's wine is an off-dry Riesling made and produced by the Hogue Cellar in Washington Sate's Columbia Valley. The cellar doesn't grow itself and it selects grapes from several vineyards in the Yakima Valley and Snipes Mountain. One thing I like in particular about this wine is the elaborate description of the wine and tasting notes printed on the backside label.

I also found the cellar's official website (The Hogue Cellars) where you can find all the info of the wine, vintage and vineyard, making methods and other specific numbers. However, I also noticed that they haven't added their 2012 wines to the online profile yet, which grants me the opportunity to fetch out my opinions here! If you are interested in the cellar's own comments, you can take a look at the cellar's notes on the Riesling 2011. 

One obvious difference is the alcohol content, which goes up from 11.6% in 2011 to 12.5% in 2012 as well as the residual sugar, which correspondingly goes down from 2.2g/100ml in 2011 to 2.0g/100ml in 2012. It can be probably attributed to the overall slightly cooler weather during 2012 than 2011.

Sight

The wine color is light yellow and is inclined to lemon yellow. 

The body is transparent and clear with a few slim tiny bubbles at the bottom of the glass. 

Smell

From the first smell, this Riesling suggested white peach and apricot, sweet and ripe.

From the second smell after shaking the glass, it changed face and gave out a different kind of aroma - that unique and typical creamy smell of petroleum possessed by this grape variety, Riesling. You can imagine the chemistry reaction of fragrance on the nose when the creamy and intensive smell of petrol mixes with the fresh and sweet fruits aroma. It's a simple contradiction that mellow together nicely and produces a balance between sharpness and soft, creaminess and freshness.

Taste

Just like how well it combines two different aromas, this zingy babe continues to please me by showing an unique combination of juiciness and herbaceousness. 

Forwarding and sweet, which pictures a basket of fresh ripe peaches and apricots... 

But within 0.3 second, the intense flavor of tea leaves, spices breakthrough the fruitiness and follow through to the palate. 

Not complex, but really unique. Terrific anytime quaffer, either to go with after-meal dessert or go solo. 

I'd like to recommend this off-dry Riesling to folks who like sweet wine and those who want to find a zingy wine partner to pair with their favorite light desserts. 

Cheers,

Cyan

Wine Tasting Notes of Torrontes 2012 by Astica from Cuyo Argentina

It's our Second dance with Argentina wines: a white Torrontes vintaged in 2012 by Astica from the Cuyo region (wine-producing, mountainous area of central-west Argentina). I got this wine together with last week's Malbec from the Union Square Wine&Spirits for merely $5.99 plus tax. One unique thing that calls for my attention about this wine is the cork. The producer didn't use traditional wood cork, instead, it adopts the rubbery cork which has a lighter touch and is easier to screw inside. However, the closure is not as tight as the traditional wood cork from my experience. Take a look at the close-up of the cork and the draw of the map of South America. It's a cork with an Argentina heart. ;) Just like Malbec, Torrontes is another emblematic grape varietal from Argentina. While Malbec is mainly used to produce red wine, Torrontes dominates white wine in Argentina. 

Enough intro, let's observe, smell and taste! 

Sight
Clear and limpid. Almost as transparent as water.
Light yellow with a slight hint of fresh verdancy green.


Smell
The first smell is alluring enough - moderate, not so intensive, but irresistible pleasant smell of minerals and rocks that are rich in mineral substance. Underneath the raw natural minerals is the aroma of ripe sweet tangerine. It's amazing because this unique mix of crispy sweet fruit and raw and natural minerals got my tongue to stimulate fluid, and seriously stimulated my appetite!
The fragrance faded away after 10 seconds or so. Gently shake it and another flow of smell came out. This time it made me think of luscious vanilla creme, still accomplished by the acor of minerals - you have to smell it to understand this interesting mix and how it can make your mouth watering.


Taste
Not surprisingly, it tastes fresh, refreshing, crispy and piercing (not sure if this is an appropriate word...but the the wine body gives your tongue a feeling of piercing cold), which can be attributed to its nice and high acidity.
There was a highlight of alcohol, which makes sense since it is a young wine with 13% alcohol content.
Rich and fine minerals. During the middle phrase of tasting, it's like my tongue licking a rock wall that has been washed under wind and rain over the years. However, personal opinion, if the tannin is a little bit stronger and lasts a little bit longer, the wine would be amazing.
It should go well with light cooked seafood, spicy dishes and slight oily food.

Cheers!
Cyan

Wine Tasting Notes of Malbec Reserve 2011 by Las Nencias from Mendoza Argentina

Today Amateur's Wine Diary had its first try of Argentina wine - Malbec Reserve 2011 produced in Las Nencias valley located in Mendoza area.
I found it at the Union Square Wines & Spirits store. I remembered how its unique and provoking purple label caught my eyes in seconds among the vast wine stock. It's that kind of purple which is lovely, vivid, elegant, and, sexy, it's the color of sexy child women. So I picked up a bottle and read the label, which says

        "Las Nencias valley is located 3000 m above sea level, with the back drop view of Marmolejo glacier amid the Andes Mountains. The most distinctive feature of this place is the wild growth of 'nuncios' (gentianella multicaulis), a variety of a stunning bluish - purple flower. This region nurtures our wines with a very specific character: an intense shade of purple and a delicate fragrance of violets, unique features of the Malbec grown in Mendoza."

http://www.lasnencias.com.ar/_en/home.php 
Click to visit the winery's website, you can take a look at how the purplish flowers look like. They're beautiful :)

I've learnt how the surrounding plantation can influence the sight, fragrance, and taste of wine made from the grape grown in that region. I knew I have to try this wine reading the label because this is the perfect time to find it out by myself.


Sight
One word: purple. This wine is indeed in purple! I've never seen a wine in color like this in real life or from reading other wine publications! It's one of its own kind. It's incredible.

Smell

Direct, strong and rich fragrance of ripe fig, flower blossom and cinnamomum camphora. It also shows ripe grapes and violet blossom. 

After shaking the wineglass, interestingly, this lovely wine changes its tone and sends out the smell of some savory and sun-dried preserved vegetables. It makes me think of the smell of slightly roasted cotton goods just like the smell of quilt after hours of airing under bright sunshine.

Taste

Just like how it smells, it suggests savory preserved vegetables and cinnamon. The wine body is moderate and delicate, with a smooth mouthfeel and a graceful finish. The aftertaste again shines spotlight on an interesting savory taste of meat, in specifically, braised pork in brown sauce. 

In my opinion, this wine would be upgraded into a higher level if the winery can improve the acidity, which could balance against the a little overwhelmed savory taste. But I guess, this wine will go well with relatively well-cooked steak and other red meat. 

Cheers :)

Cyan

Wine Tasting Notes of Sauvignon Blanc 2012 by Moon Crest from California

My dear wine amateurs, Cyan is here again on Wednesday for our agreed weekly wine tasting. Today's wine is a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc vintaged in 2012 again from California. This dry white with 12.8% alcohol content has a romantic name, Moon Crest. It is bottled in the vineyard by the winery, Jenna, San Martin. CA. 

FYI, I just finished my California inventory. Next week, I will taste wine form other production regions, probably from the old world, the European countries. So, stay tuned! 

In general, I do not dislike this wine. It's simply sweet and straightforward just like a little girl who is cute, innocent, yet quiet, silently smiling at you...

Sight

This wine is incredibly transparent and clear. If you place an item next to the wine body, you can see through it almost like seeing through water. It has a nice color, which I would call light olivine. It's just like the color of pure and fresh made apple juice made of fresh green apples. 

Smell

The first smell, I was delighted by its intense and straightforward fragrance of the ripest and sweetest yellow- and white- colored fruits such as golden apple, peach, and apricot, right after which followed with the sweetest vanilla cream. However, the sad thing is it lost me after a little while... This short-living flaw is such a shame given its amazingly rich and sweet aroma. 

Wondering if I could smell something different in the second attempt, I shake the glass. However, not springily, it gives out a quiet consistent smell invoking the flavors of ripe, sweet light-colored fruits and vanilla. But as I smelled harder, a fragile and insignificant stream of leaf tobacco emerged above the greasy sweetness (no negative connotation here). And, yea, that's about it. Ripest Sweetness. 

Taste

Just like how it smelled, it tastes sweet, like drinking a alcohol-strenghthen juice made of the ripest honey crispy apple/peach/green grape. 

Some key words I would use to describe this wine:

• Lower medium wine body
• Pure and sweet fruit
• Good acidity
• Short and weak aftertaste

This wine would be much better if it is characterized with rubbery tannins and more powerful aftertaste. In one word, it's a sweet and simple wine. You can enjoy it directly without pairing with food. It's a good and easy choice for you if you are a light drinker and prefer mild wine over sophisticated ones. One more thing, I also think it is on the downhill and should be enjoyed right now without holding up. 

That's it for today. Until next Wednesday. 

Cheers,

Cyan

    

How to Read Wine Labels_Specified for Wine Production Regions_Episode 1

It seems to be a common understanding that wine is a complicated and puzzling thing, carrying too much information from grape variety, cultivation method, mixture of different varieties, making process, aging, reserving to tasting. Each element can be a big question and a grand learning. But frankly, for normal mainstream drinkers (people like me), I don't really care much about how the wine is grown, selected, made, aged or storage. What matters to me is that savoring moment, the moment of leisure and happiness, the spiritual as well as physical enjoyment brought about by the richness of a good wine. That said, when I am making the purchase decisions, I am searching for the answers to these questions: 

• Is this bottle gonna worth the money?
• Will this wine appeal to my taste?
• How much longer can I keep this wine before its quality goes town?
• What is the serving temperature?
• Can I pair this wine with my favorite dishes? 

Luckily, you can make pretty accurate guesses for these questions based on the information on wine labels. BUT... I know what you are thinking. Here comes the big question again. How am I going to ever understand the all kinds of wine labels most of which are not even written in English?! Well, calm... I am going to provide you with just enough information to understand the wine labels of all the major producing regions. In this post, I will cover six regions including America, Australia, three noble French regions and Spain. Next Sunday, I will complete the list adding Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, South Africa and Argentina and Chile. So stay tuned! And now, here come the the image illustrations:

   

I hope you find this post a helpful reference for label reading. Enjoy the rest of your weekend hopefully with the companion of a lovely wine. 

Cheers,

Cyan